Can opener



V. LAMBERT CAN OPENER Filed Sept. 8. 1921 7 4p i /3 r r- Q -T; J 7 'k v 1 1/1 8 w (a a /&

NVVENTOR Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNITE srArs moron LAMBERT, or BROOKLYN,"NEW YORK.

can OPENER.

Application filed September a, 1921. semi No. 499,275.

To all w ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR LAMBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to a can opener of the type designed for cutting the sides of a can so as to completely remove the top thereof and lay open the entire interior of the can, and involves the provision among other features of novel fastening means whereby the cutter may be readily adjusted and fixed in cutting position.

Can openers of the type referred to heretofore constructed either provide no means for holding the cutting blade of the opener against the can while the cutting operation is being performed, the operator being obliged to apply and-hold the blade against the can by hand, or the fastening means provided for setting the blade in cuttingposition and locking it in that position are ineffective as where a spring is employed, or

too expensive for an article of this sort as where cams and ratchet teeth are employed.

One of the principal objects Of'iihlS invention therefore is to provide a can opener of the type described, consisting of. a mini-v mum number of parts, simple in design and construction so that thetool may be readily manufactured and assembled at minimum cost. The invention. aims particularlyto provide a simple and effective fastening means for setting the cuttingblade ofthe,

can opener and locking it in operative position so that the cutting operation may be performed without the necessity of the cutterflbeing held by the operator and forced against the can and without shifting of the cutter relative to the shank of the tools.

The can opener comprises a shank having a centering point at one end which is inserted in the top of the can prior to the cutting operation toproperly position the tool and provide a pivot point therefor. The shank has guides near its end opposite that on which the centering point or punch [is secured in which a cutter bar is slidably mounted. In order that the cutter bar may b justed an fired e P ep-ar usi g sition on the which are adapted, upon turning of the shank without being heldby the operator meansare provided comprisinga-clamp pivoted on the cutter bar and hav ng projecting edges on its inner side clamp, to engage the outer surfaces ofthe,

guides and grip them. The edges may be formed by beveling the inner sides of the clamp and preferably the taper of the beveled surfaces is of increasing thickness in the direction of turning of the,

the cutting blade are formed by bending over projecting'lateral edges of the shank formed in stampingthe latter and these bent over edges are curved sothat the curvature thereof increases -towardthe edges projecting of'the shank. The maximum height, therefore, of the guides above the surface of the shank will be along the edges thereof where the greatest gripping action between the clamp and the outer surfaces of the guides will take place.

In order that the edges of the can along the incision made by the opener shall be rendering the subsequent handling of the can dangerous, the cutting blade is preferably provided with beveled edges which operate to turn in the edges of the can as smooth and free from jagged projections;

the incision by the blade progresses, thus] producing not only a smooth upper edge on the can, but also the edge of the top re moved.

- The invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings in which- Fig. 1 isa plan View of the can opener;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the can opener illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View along the line 3 Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4; illustrates the can opener applied to a can in operative position. I

The shank 5 of the can opener consists the underside of j of a flat bar having riveted on one end as at '6 a centering point or punch 7. Near the opposite end of the bar 5 are a pair of guides 8 which, in the construction shown, are formed by bending over lateral extensions ofthe bar 5 formed in Stamping out this piece: Beneath the bar 5 and slidabl mounted in the guides 8 is a cutter bar 9. One end of this bar has riveted thereto as at 10 a cutter 11 and both ends thereof are bent at right angles. The upwardly bent edges of the cutter bar 9 on either side or" the cutter 11 provide a stop 1 to limit the inward thrust of the cutter when the can openeris applied to a can in operative position. The bent over edge 19 at the opposite end of the cutter bar provides a finger hold by? which the cutter bar may be grasped to adjust it in cutting position for cams of varying diameter.

Forthe purpose of adjusting the cutter bi r 9 relative to the shank 5 in accordance w h the size of the can to be opened, and to the cutter bar in the adjusted position, the hitter has pivoted thereto at 13 a clamp the pivot 13 comprising a pin having a shank of a: length such as to permit the clamp to engage the outer surfaces of the guides 8 and to force the cutter bar against the under edges of the guides when the clinip is turned in the position illustrated in 1 thus producing binding action between the shank and the bar so that the latter will be held in adjusted position. In order tint the gripping" action between the clamp and the outer surfaces of the guides 8 may he sufi'icient to firmly hold the cutter bar 9 in adjusted position on the shank 5, the under side of the clamp 14 isv provided with levels or tapering projections 15 dis-' posed one on each side of the pivot 13, the projections tapering or increasing in thickness in the direction of turning of the clanip l4 and terminating in sharp edges which bind against the upper snrtiaces of the guides 8 and drawingthe cutter bar 9 against the guides with a. force suflicient to fix the bar in cutting position. The binding action between the clamp 14: and the outer surfaces of the guides 8 is enhanced by forming theguides so that the outer surfaces thereof will be curved and of an increasing curvature toward the edges of the shank as shown in Fig. 3 and also by providing' the outer surfaces of the guides with knurling as at 1.6.

The operation of the can opener Wlll be readily understood from an inspection of i Fig. 4. which illustrates the tool applied to a can in cutting position. The bar 9 is first loosened by turning the clamp M to a posi- .tion approximately parallel wi h the guides 8. and to facilitate the turning of the clamp thela ter isv provided. with knobs or finger holds 17. The cutter bar having been released, the cutter 11 is brought back to an approximate cutting position and the center ing point o-r..;.pun ch 7 15 inserted in the topo fthecan. The cutter bar is now adjusted getting the cutter ll in proper position to cut the side of the can as shown in Fig. at,

and is ilHQfl in. this adjusted. position by turning iZlIQCizLH EP lei. 'lhe inward adjustment of the blade 11 in cutting position is limited by the stop 12 so that the cutter will be prevented from entering the can beyond the position lined by the stop. The binding action between the bar 9 and the guides 3*; produced by the interaction between the tapering; projections on the inner side of the clamp and the outer knurled surfaces of the guides 8 w'll he su'l'licient to tirn'ily hold the bar 9 from shitting while the cutting operation is being performed.

l st the same time while providing a rigid locking means between the bar 9 and the shank 5, the bar may be readily released and removed for cleaning simply by turning the clamp 14 in this case in a counter clockwise direction until the wings of the clamp are nearly parallel with the guides. It will be readily understood that the taper given to the projections on the inner side of the clai'np is desi. for r' t hand turning: the ole?" direction. 3y gmnu to the projections slant in the opposite direction the same progressite tightcnin" action between the clamp and the outer surfaces the si'uides might he obtained by turning the cl inp tothe left or in a counter clockwise direction; The bent over edge 19 of the bar 9 may be provided with an aperture 18 sothat the tool his} be hungz upon a hook. i

In place of providing a separate cutter 11. riveted. on bar the construction illusr cutter bar 'lnlflf il) (1' l provide projecting cutter would he inor turning in a clockwise Where the cutting danger incident tothe subsequenthandling of the can as would otherwise be the case if the edges plwifltlijl by the incision of the can opener were allowed to remain sharp or jagged.

1. A can opener comprising a shanh'having acentering point at one end and guides near its opposite end. a cutter bar slida-b'ly mounted in Sftlfl. guides, l11ln162t31f0f adjusting and firng said cutter bar on'the shank coinprisii a clamp pivoted on said cutter bar and having projecting edges on its inner-side adapted, upon turn'in'got the clamp to engage the outer surfaces of said guides whereby to grip them and hold-the cutter bar in operative position.

2. A can opener comprising ashank having a centering point at one end and guides near its opposite end, a cutter bar slidably 'inou'nted insaid guides, and meansforfadjnsting and fiXing said cutter- *har 'On the shank comprising a clamp pivoted on said cutter bar and having beveled inner sides providing edges adapted, upon turning of the clamp, to engage the outer surfaces of said guides whereby to grip them and hold the cutter bar in operative position.

3. A can opener comprising a shank having a centering point at one end and guides near its opposite end, a cutter bar slidably mounted in said guides, and means for adjusting and fixing said cutter bar on the shank comprising a clamp pivoted onsaid cutter bar and having tapering projections on its inner side increasing in thickness in thedirection of turning and terminating in sharp edges adapted to engage the outer surfaces of said guides whereby to grip them and hold the cutter bar in operative position.

4. A can opener comprising a shank, a centering point at one end of said shank and guides near the opposite end thereof, said guides having knurled outer surfaces, a cutter bar slidably mounted in said guides, and means for adjusting and fixing said cutter bar on the shank comprising a clamp pivoted on said cutter bar and having tapering projections on its inner side increasing in thickness in the direction of turning and terminating in sharp edges adapted, upon turning of the clamp, to engage the knurled surfaces of said guides whereby to grip them and hold the cutter bar in operative position.

5. A can opener comprising a shank having at one end a centering point and bent over lateral edges near the opposite end forming guldes havlng curved outer surfaces of increasing curvature near the edges of said shank and provided with knurling, a

cutter bar slidab-ly mounted in said guides,

and means for adjusting and fixing sald cutter baron the shank comp-rising a clamp pivoted on said cutter bar and having tapering projections on its inner. side increasing in thickness in the direction of turning, and terminating in sharp edges adapted to engage the outer knurled surfaces of said guides whereby to grip them and hold the cutter bar in operative position.

6. A can opener comprising a shank having a centering point near one end and guides near 1ts opposite end, a cutter bar slidably mounted in said guides and having at one end a cutter provided with downwardly beveled cutting edges, and means for adjusting and fixing said cutter bar on the shank comprising a clamp pivoted on said cutter bar and having projecting edges on its inner side adapted, upon turning of the clamp, to engage the outer surfaces of said adapted, upon turning of the clamp, to en-.

gage the outer surfaces of said guides whereby to grip them and hold the cutter bar in operative position.

III,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

VICTOR LAMBERT. 

